ROME (AP) – Olympic silver medalist Francis Obikwelu won the 100 meters at the star-studded Golden Gala meet Friday after former world record holder Asafa Powell pulled out of the final with a groin injury.

Obikwelu, a Portuguese sprinter who finished second to Justin Gatlin at the 2004 Athens Games, finished in 10.04 seconds, while Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas was second in the same time.

Powell burst out of the blocks in the heats and took the midway lead, but pulled up and finished fifth in 10.19 seconds. He took the final qualifying spot for the nine-man final, but decided against running.

“He’s OK, but he felt his groin cramp up and stopped running as a precaution,” said Powell’s manager, Paul Doyle. “He’s not going to take any chances. It’s an Olympic year.”

Doyle said this was a new injury, though Powell “has had problems with his groin in the past.” Powell’s fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt set a world record of 9.72 seconds in New York on May 31, improving on the 9.74 Powell ran in September in Rieti, Italy. Midway through the meet, only one athlete has a chance at the Golden League’s $1 million jackpot – Pamela Jelimo in the 800 meters.

Jelimo, an 18-year-old Kenyan who burst onto the international scene this year, confirmed her status as the best 800 runner in the world with a meet-record 1:55.69 – well ahead of world champion Janeth Jepkosgei, who crossed second in 1:58.74.

Josephine Onyia’s jackpot hopes were erased when the Spanish sprinter finished sixth in the 100 hurdles, which was won by Brigitte Foster-Hylton in 12.60.

Athletes competing later include Bershawn Jackson in the 400 hurdles, Hussein Al-Sabee in the long jump and Blanka Vlasic in the high jump.

Competitors who win their event in all six Golden League meets will share the jackpot. Rome is the third meet in the series after Berlin and Oslo, followed by Paris (July 18), Zurich (Aug. 29) and Brussels (Sept. 5).

Dayron Robles of Cuba kept up his impressive form in the 110 hurdles, timing a comfortable 13.08 to win by several strides ahead of Sergiy Demidyuk, who clocked 13.40.

Robles broke Liu Xiang’s world mark when he ran 12.87 seconds in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 12.

Tero Pitkamaki, the Finn who pierced French long jumper Salim Sdiri with an errant javelin throw last year, won the javelin at 87.70 meters, while Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen finished a disappointing fourth.

The javelin competition was moved up to the start of this year’s meet so as not to risk any interference with the long jump.

Later, double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius resumed his bid to qualify for the Olympics in the 400 meters.

Isinbayeva sets pole vault world record

Just when it seemed someone might challenge Yelena Isinbayeva, the Russian responded with her first pole vault world record in nearly three years.

Isinbayeva cleared 16 feet, 6 inches (5.03 meters) Friday at the Golden Gala meet, improving on her previous mark of 16-5 1/4 (5.01) set at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki, Finland.

American pole vaulter Jenn Stuczynski set an American record of 16 feet, 1 3/4 (4.92) at the U.S. Olympic trials this week to improve her second-place standing on the all-time list, pressuring Isinbayeva to respond before the Beijing Olympics.

“Everybody was saying ‘Ah OK, Isinbayeva is finished, we have a new star,”‘ she said. “So today I was really angry.”

Isinbayeva repeatedly had tried to clear 16-5 1/2 (5.02) over the past few seasons and decided with her new coach Vitaly Petrov that a switch to 16-6 might give her a psychological boost.

“(Vitaly) said we have to change something,” Isinbayeva said. “I was ready for a world record. My goal today was to beat the world record. In Rome there are great facilities, and the crowd is fantastic; I wanted to do something for them.”

Isinbayeva cleared the record height with ease on her second attempt, suggesting she is capable of much more.

“It was not even close to the bar,” she said. “It’s just the beginning.”

Isinbayeva has worked hard to overcome the physical and psychological problems that stopped her from improving on the record since 2005. This was her first outdoor meet this year, and her first appearance altogether since winning her fourth world indoor title in Valencia, Spain, in March.

“I’m stronger now, I run faster and jump higher, but the most important thing is my mind: I’m happy, I’m quiet now, I want to jump,” she said. “Before I had problems, and the pole vault was somewhere in the back of my mind.”

The 26-year-old Russian has dominated the pole vault since winning the 2004 Olympic title. She has set 12 world records outdoors and 10 indoors, and is the only woman to clear 5 meters.

Her career goal is to eclipse Sergei Bubka’s mark of 35 world records.

With all the other events at the meet long finished and the clock past 11 p.m. local time, Isinbayeva got the fans who remained involved by putting her hands together to get the crowd clapping to a beat.

She doused her hands in chalk, raised her pole high toward the sky and dashed down the runway. When she came down, she ran over and leaped into the arms of Petrov, who used to coach Bubka, then draped herself in a Russian flag.

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Associated Press Writer Ariel David contributed to this report.

AP-ES-07-11-08 1954EDT